21 Epic and Unusual Beaches That You Won’t Believe

Why pack your bags and take off on another boring family vacation when you can hop a plane and travel to one of these exotic locales? Kids and adults alike will find something to marvel in from the myriad of colors along the sandy beaches to the millions of tiny pink shells that make up the Pink Sands Beach in the Bahamas. Why bring home cheap, plastic souvenirs when you can fill a glass bottle with the black, green, and red sands along the coastline of Hawaii or multi-colored shells from the popular Shell Beach in Australia? If you’re newlyweds searching for a secluded place away from the world, then the romantic Hidden Beach in Mexico is waiting just for you.

For hundreds of years these tourist attractions have garnered attention from visitors all over the world because of their unique, individual attributes. Each location has something special to offer and the photographer in your family will never suffer from a lack of things to capture, as these destinations continue to amaze and delight travelers around the globe. Don’t settle for boring. Instead, let these majestic getaways help you and your family and friends make memories that will last a lifetime.

1. Shell Beach – Australia

Shell Beach is located in the Shark Bay region of Australia and is one of only two beaches formed completely out of shells.

2. The Maldives Beach

Scientists have concluded that the blue glow emanating from the Maldives Ocean are millions of marine microbes known as phytoplankton.

3. Giants Causeway – Ireland

The Giants Causeway formed from an ancient volcanic eruption. The strange design is made up of over 30,000 basalt columns.

4. The Moeraki Boulders – New Zealand

The unusual gray-colored boulders can be found along a stretch of Koekohe Beach in New Zealand. Some believe they are comprised from the remains of eel baskets.

5. Glass Beach – California

Glass Beach was once a dumping ground, and the stones are remnants of glass and pottery items that were formed by the crushing waves.

6. Pink Sands Beach – Bahamas

The beautiful pink hue radiating from the Pink Sands Beach is actually a mixture of bits of broken shells, coral, and tiny pink-shelled animals known as Foraminifera.

7. The Hidden Beach – Mexico

This secluded spot was formed from ancient volcanic activity and has been a favorite attraction amongst honeymooners and other tourists for decades.

8. The Beach of the Cathedrals – Spain

The majestic rocky walls along this beach are made of slate and reach 35 meters high. They have been compared to cathedral buttresses, which is where they received their name.

9. Red Sand Beach – Hawaii

The unique red shade at the Red Sand Beach in Hawaii is attributed to the erosion of the red cinder cone along the bay.

10. Jokulsarlon – Iceland

The Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon is a popular vacation destination in Iceland, as pieces of ice littering the black sand beaches resemble tiny bits of glimmering crystal.

11. Purple Sand Beach – California

The distinctive purple shade of this beach stems from manganese garnet, which washes down from the hillside above the area.

12. Maho Beach – St. Martin

Want to see an airplane up close and personal? Then travel to Maho Beach, where you can watch them soar directly above you as they make their decent to a nearby airport.

13. Cow Beach – India

To see cows roaming this beach is a natural occurrence for the locals, who share their sunbathing space with the creatures day after day.

14. Black Sand Beach – Hawaii

Due to constant volcanic activity in the area, you can see not only black sand at this favorite tourist attraction but also white and green sand as well.

15. Jurassic Coast – England

Here along the 95 miles of England’s southern coast lies an expansive array of fossil forest remnants and prehistoric dinosaur footprints, just waiting to be discovered.

16. Lake McKenzie – Australia

The pristine white sands surrounding Lake McKenzie are comprised of pure, white silica, and it’s been said that the water is so pure it is unsuitable for many sea creatures.

17. Gulpiyuri – Spain

If you’re looking for a private getaway, then look no further than Gulpiyuri, which can be found in the middle of a charming meadow off the northern coast of Spain.

18. Barking Sands Beach – Hawaii

To make the sand “bark”, visitors walk over it with bare feet, and if enough force is generated, you can hear what resembles a strange “barking” sound. No one, including scientists, can explain this rare phenomenon.

19. Papakolea Beach – Hawaii

A silicate deposit of lava referred to, appropriately, as olivine is the force behind the green hued sand at Papakolea Beach.

20. Hot Water Beach – New Zealand

Looking for your own little Jacuzzi beside the ocean? Then dig a shallow pool in the sand at Hot Water Beach and enjoy the warmth from the naturally heated minerals rising up from deep within the earth.

21. Cathedral Cove Beach – New Zealand

Not far from Hot Water Beach you will find the Cathedral Cove Beach, which boasts of huge, naturally carved cathedral-style archways.